Ginger Baker's Jazz Confusion are playing London's Jazz Cafe this week and are one of the first acts to be announced for next year's Field Day; in advance, the legendary drummer picks out his top 13 LPs

Ginger Baker is best known as the drummer of Cream, featuring Eric Clapton, the trio whose voluminous, blues-based rock preceded both The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Led Zeppelin and countless heavy rock outfits. However, Baker himself is always at pains to describe himself at a jazz drummer and dislikes intensely the amplification of rock, from a performing viewpoint in particular. Despite enduring a turbulent relationship with bassist Jack Bruce, Cream did manage to stay together for three years and even reunited in 2004 for a series of major concerts. Unlike practically every other superstar rock group of the era, all of Cream's members are alive and well.

Baker started life with the Storyville Jazz Men and The Hugh Rainey Allstars before joining the Graham Bond Organisation, the British blues boomer outfit where he distinguished himself with his soloing and singular approach to the drum kit. Success with Cream swiftly followed, before he and Clapton formed the short-lived Blind Faith. A lover of African percussion, Baker spent several years in Nigeria in the early 70s, recording with Fela Kuti. His subsequent collaborators ranged from Gary Moore to Public Image Ltd to jazz greats Bill Frisell and Charlie Haden, with whom he formed a trio in the 1990s.

As a player, rather than a rock historian, Baker has tended to be immersed in his own work, hence the unusual emphasis on his own back catalogue – but then, a Baker's Baker's Dozen has licence to be as distinctive as the man himself.

Baker will be playing the Jazz Cafe in London this Wednesday, November 28, with his jazz-fusion group, the Jazz Confusion, accompanied by tenor saxophonist Pee Wee Ellis - for more details and tickets, go to the venue's website here. They will also be playing the Quietus' very own Village Mentality stage at Field Day 2013 - for tickets, head here.

Click on Baker's picture below to begin scrolling through his choices.

Whenever I'm at festivals or gigs and I see performers I love at the bar, I never go and talk to them. It's because I'm worried they will spoil my enjoyment of their music by being insufferable, arrogant, aloof or rude. 99% of the time I'm sure they would't let me down (my mate did go and talk to Dave Pajo and said he was lovely, ditto Doseone), but I'd rather not take the chance. They might end up coming across like Ginger Baker.

We had a polite request from one of his people saying can he talk about some albums he's played on himself as he doesn't really listen to music. So yeah, he understood the concept and we said, 'It's Ginger Baker, he can pick the Fela Kuti live album or Air Force at the Royal Albert Hall 13 times over if he likes.'

The Quintet! That's a great album. The interesting thing about it is that Charlie Parker's name doesn't appear anywhere on it – he's credited as Charlie Chan because his contract didn't allow him to record for another label.

I agree. Blaming someone other than Jimi for Jimi's death isn't helpful, nor is helpful to use the term "chick". it either gives the wrong impression, or the right and a bad impression about his attitude towards women.

At this point in his career, Mr Baker can list whatever the hell he wishes. Would have liked to know his thoughts on PIL. Always enjoyed 'Going Back Home' and when I played it last night, it still sounds great. Odd comment re: Deleaney and Bonnie. Weren't those alive at the time contractually bound to praise them forever?

Coincidentally I watched Classic Albums on Disraeli Gears tonight which literally (no literally) sent me to sleep. By the way, the Blind Faith cover? So much dodgy art from this generation. Jimmy Saville would have loved it.

I know nothing about Ginger Baker, but I read Baker's Dozen with interest all the same.
have the critics here done the same? it seems to me they did not, but reacted purely in an ideological fashion. and will you please cut one of the dying breed some slack, will you - if he sounds like a macho-alfa guy, you needn't think further than your dad. that generation talked and did things that way.
and what would you call a woman who is disgusted to see her man being in physical pain? I think she rightfully earned her being called a "chick".